Northport’s school plan prompts talk

Seventh-grade social studies teacher Jerry Boatwright instructs students at Collins-Riverside Middle School on Friday. Northport is considering creating a city school system.

Michelle Lepianka Carter | Tuscaloosa News

By Jamon SmithStaff Writer

Published: Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 8, 2013 at 11:47 p.m.

NORTHPORT | Tuscaloosa County Schools Interim Superintendent Dan Butler said Friday he’s willing to talk with the Northport City Council about its idea to create a separate school system, but he said he believes the nine schools within the Northport city limits should remain in the county system.

“Northport is not something different from Tuscaloosa County,” Butler said. “It’s a part of us.”

At a work session Thursday, Northport officials said they wanted to conduct a feasibility study to see how creating a separate school system would impact the city financially.

Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon said the Council had talked about the idea for years privately, but the city wasn’t in the financial shape it’s in now when the idea first came up.

“Northport is doing so well right now as far as growth, economic stability and businesses that never looked at us before are looking at us,” Herndon said. “We just want to get a feel to see if it would be beneficial for our 25,000 citizens to have their own school system. When business and retail comes to visit cities they always ask how the school systems are.

“Tuscaloosa County is a good school system, my kids went through it, but we just want to evaluate to see if it’s economically feasible and beneficial for us to have our own system. We’ve made no commitment to getting one. We just want to see if it would help grow the city and help serve its citizens.”

“I was surprised because I had never dealt with this topic. The second reason I was surprised is because of the quality of education the children are receiving now. Why would the citizens of Northport want to increase their taxes to receive certainly no greater of an education than they’re getting now?”

Seven of the nine Northport schools made Adequate Yearly Progress — annual statewide academic goals — last school year. The only schools that did not meet their AYP goals were Collins-Riverside and Tuscaloosa County High. Collins-

Riverside is in year one of AYP school improvement, which means the school hasn’t met state academic standards for at least two years consecutively. Tuscaloosa County High is in year four of AYP school improvement.

Herndon said the citizens of Northport have contributed $250,000 annually in taxes to the Tuscaloosa County School System and its citizens have given the system generous donations.

He said it’s time for the city to look at possibly taking care of its own instead of contributing to the entire county.

“We want the people of Northport to be able to make decisions that concern the people of Northport,” Herndon said. “Northport should be in control of Northport.

“This is not something we’re going to jump into. We will investigate because we don’t want to do anything ... that will hurt our city. This is part of our comprehensive plan.”

Michael Sibley, director of communication for the Alabama Department of Education, said all that’s required for Northport to create its own school system is for the city to have at least 5,000 people living within its municipality. Northport has a population of about 25,000.

Sibley said the city would not have to buy the schools within its borders from the county unless that’s stipulated in a separation agreement between the two groups. The city would, however, have to pay off any remaining debt on the schools.

Danny Higdon, chief school financial officer for the Tuscaloosa County Schools, said the only Northport school that still has debt is Tuscaloosa County High, at $6.3 million.

Higdon said the Northport school system would be allocated a portion of the countywide 1-cent sales tax to help fund its schools, but the city would still have to come up with 10 mils of property tax to match the education funds the state would provide them. The county’s 10-mil match for fiscal year 2013 was $1,081,132, Higdon said.

Butler said Northport would also need to find a way to transport its students. He said the county has 193 bus routes and transportation costs are high.

Northport isn’t the only city in the state that’s broken away from a county school system, or at least considered it.

On Oct. 17, 2011, the Alabaster City Council voted to break away from Shelby County Schools.

According to The Birmingham News, the biggest issue the Alabaster faced was getting a solid revenue base, which is something that’s been a struggle for the Tuscaloosa County School System for years.

Marty Handlon, the mayor of Alabaster, said Friday that to meet the Alabaster School System’s financial needs, the city increased sales tax by 1 percent and dedicated that amount to education.

For the county schools, the removal of nine schools and more than 5,000 students would cause the system to lose state funding. Higdon said the state gave the system about $71 million in FY 2013 to pay the salaries and benefits of teachers, principals, assistant principals, counselors, librarians and one career tech director.

If the system loses students, it will lose state-funded teachers.

“The teachers go with the students,” Butler said.

Another possible issue the county system may face is the loss of some of its school board members. Four of the county’s seven board members represent Northport’s schools — the Rev. Schmitt Moore, James Barnett, Gary Mims and Gary Bonner.

Since Northport would need its own school board, Butler said he’s not sure if that would cause the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education to lose a few of its members since the board would represent fewer people and a smaller area.

The county school system would also have to re-zone.

“Here’s something they should consider,” Butler said. “We have students who live in the police jurisdiction of Northport, but not in the city limits. They go to Northport schools. So, would those kids who’ve attended Northport schools all their lives be forced to leave?”

<p>NORTHPORT | Tuscaloosa County Schools Interim Superintendent Dan Butler said Friday he's willing to talk with the Northport City Council about its idea to create a separate school system, but he said he believes the nine schools within the Northport city limits should remain in the county system.</p><p>“Northport is not something different from Tuscaloosa County,” Butler said. “It's a part of us.”</p><p>At a work session Thursday, Northport officials said they wanted to conduct a feasibility study to see how creating a separate school system would impact the city financially.</p><p>Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon said the Council had talked about the idea for years privately, but the city wasn't in the financial shape it's in now when the idea first came up.</p><p>“Northport is doing so well right now as far as growth, economic stability and businesses that never looked at us before are looking at us,” Herndon said. “We just want to get a feel to see if it would be beneficial for our 25,000 citizens to have their own school system. When business and retail comes to visit cities they always ask how the school systems are.</p><p>“Tuscaloosa County is a good school system, my kids went through it, but we just want to evaluate to see if it's economically feasible and beneficial for us to have our own system. We've made no commitment to getting one. We just want to see if it would help grow the city and help serve its citizens.”</p><p>Nine schools are located in Northport — Collins-Riverside Middle, Crestmont Elementary, Echols Middle, Faucett-Vestavia Elementary, Flatwoods Elementary, Huntington Place Elementary, Matthews Elementary, Northport Elementary and Tuscaloosa County High.</p><p>They represent about one-third of the county's 33 schools and collectively account for 5,243 of the county's 17,788 students.</p><p>Parents at Collins-Riverside Friday had mixed feelings about the possible breakup.</p><p>“I think its a great idea as long as they can afford it,” said Shannon Eady, mother of a eighth-grader.</p><p>Carla Henry, also the mother of an eighth-grader, said she'd rather the Northport schools stay in the county system.</p><p>“It's been like this since I was in school here, and there's nothing wrong with it,” she said.</p><p>Lance Kendrick, father of an eighth-grader, said he thinks it's a good idea as long as the curriculum doesn't change.</p><p>Butler, the interim superintendent, said he was shocked by the proposal and didn't understand why Northport's leaders felt the need to separate from the county system. </p><p>“The question I have is, 'Why?' ” Butler said. “With the kind of bargain they're getting here, 'Why?'</p><p>“I was surprised because I had never dealt with this topic. The second reason I was surprised is because of the quality of education the children are receiving now. Why would the citizens of Northport want to increase their taxes to receive certainly no greater of an education than they're getting now?”</p><p>Seven of the nine Northport schools made Adequate Yearly Progress — annual statewide academic goals — last school year. The only schools that did not meet their AYP goals were Collins-Riverside and Tuscaloosa County High. Collins-</p><p>Riverside is in year one of AYP school improvement, which means the school hasn't met state academic standards for at least two years consecutively. Tuscaloosa County High is in year four of AYP school improvement.</p><p>Herndon said the citizens of Northport have contributed $250,000 annually in taxes to the Tuscaloosa County School System and its citizens have given the system generous donations.</p><p>He said it's time for the city to look at possibly taking care of its own instead of contributing to the entire county.</p><p>“We want the people of Northport to be able to make decisions that concern the people of Northport,” Herndon said. “Northport should be in control of Northport.</p><p>“This is not something we're going to jump into. We will investigate because we don't want to do anything ... that will hurt our city. This is part of our comprehensive plan.”</p><p>Michael Sibley, director of communication for the Alabama Department of Education, said all that's required for Northport to create its own school system is for the city to have at least 5,000 people living within its municipality. Northport has a population of about 25,000.</p><p>Sibley said the city would not have to buy the schools within its borders from the county unless that's stipulated in a separation agreement between the two groups. The city would, however, have to pay off any remaining debt on the schools.</p><p>Danny Higdon, chief school financial officer for the Tuscaloosa County Schools, said the only Northport school that still has debt is Tuscaloosa County High, at $6.3 million.</p><p>Higdon said the Northport school system would be allocated a portion of the countywide 1-cent sales tax to help fund its schools, but the city would still have to come up with 10 mils of property tax to match the education funds the state would provide them. The county's 10-mil match for fiscal year 2013 was $1,081,132, Higdon said.</p><p>Butler said Northport would also need to find a way to transport its students. He said the county has 193 bus routes and transportation costs are high. </p><p>Northport isn't the only city in the state that's broken away from a county school system, or at least considered it.</p><p>On Oct. 17, 2011, the Alabaster City Council voted to break away from Shelby County Schools.</p><p>According to The Birmingham News, the biggest issue the Alabaster faced was getting a solid revenue base, which is something that's been a struggle for the Tuscaloosa County School System for years.</p><p>Marty Handlon, the mayor of Alabaster, said Friday that to meet the Alabaster School System's financial needs, the city increased sales tax by 1 percent and dedicated that amount to education.</p><p>For the county schools, the removal of nine schools and more than 5,000 students would cause the system to lose state funding. Higdon said the state gave the system about $71 million in FY 2013 to pay the salaries and benefits of teachers, principals, assistant principals, counselors, librarians and one career tech director.</p><p>If the system loses students, it will lose state-funded teachers.</p><p>“The teachers go with the students,” Butler said.</p><p>Another possible issue the county system may face is the loss of some of its school board members. Four of the county's seven board members represent Northport's schools — the Rev. Schmitt Moore, James Barnett, Gary Mims and Gary Bonner.</p><p>Since Northport would need its own school board, Butler said he's not sure if that would cause the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education to lose a few of its members since the board would represent fewer people and a smaller area.</p><p>The county school system would also have to re-zone.</p><p>“Here's something they should consider,” Butler said. “We have students who live in the police jurisdiction of Northport, but not in the city limits. They go to Northport schools. So, would those kids who've attended Northport schools all their lives be forced to leave?”</p><p>Reach Jamon Smith at jamon.smith@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0204.</p>